Josh and the Big Wall
Josh and the Big Wall is the ninth episode of the VeggieTales animated series. It was released in December 5, 1997 by Everland Entertainment on VHS. In June 8, 1999 by Lyrick Studios on DVD, and April 16, 2002 by Chordant Distribution Group on DVD, with special quality. It is subtitled "A Lesson in Obedience". The story follows the plight of the Israelites and the Battle of Jericho. Plot The opening countertop finds Junior Asparagus filling in for Larry the Cucumber, (he is tired from Larry-Boy! & the Fib from Outer Space!, the previous episode). Junior and Bob the Tomato field a question for Victor of Sausalito, California about obedience and, using their imaginations, are transported to the Holy Land. Bob acts as narrator and provides Junior with some background information. The Israelites, having been held as slaves in Egypt, are liberated by Moses and led to the Promised Land. However, they question God's methods and are banished from Israel for forty years. Upon the completion of their exile, Moses has died, and Joshua (played here by Larry) has become leader of the Israelites. Joshua leads them back to the Promised Land, but one thing stands in their way... Jericho. The story is interrupted here by Larry's Silly Songs with Larry. "Song of the Cebu," introduced as a "sequential image, stereophonic, multimedia event," finds Larry on the countertop with a slide projector and a captive audience comprising Jimmy and Jerry Gourd and Junior Asparagus. The song, about a boy and three cebus and a hippo frequently goes off track and is interrupted several times by Archibald Asparagus. When the story resumes, the Israelites are met by the defenders of Jericho (the French Peas) who taunt them from atop the city's great wall. Joshua explains that God has given this land to the Israelites and that therefore the defenders will have to step aside. They are met by more insults and jeering. When a slushy falls and hits Jimmy, they fall back and regroup. That night Joshua meets the Commander of the Army of the Lord who tells him how the Israelites are to take Jericho: they must march around the city once a day for six days; on the seventh day they are to march around it seven times, blow their horns, and all yell at the same time. At this point, the messenger states, the walls of Jericho will fall. Naturally this plan leads to some skepticism. Joshua must deal with dissent among his people, some of whom want to return to Egypt and some of whom want to attack the wall with might. But they agree to try it God's way and proceed to Jericho the next day. The city's defenders insult them all the more, turning their taunts into a choreographed musical number while bombing them constantly with slushies. The end of the day finds the Israelites on the verge of rebellion. At this point, Junior, the co-narrator, intervenes and convinces them to continue with the plan God laid out. He explains that God's way doesn't always make sense, but provides examples of how it always works out in the end. The Israelites agree to stick with the plan and, in spite of renewed counter-attacks, march around the city for seven days as specified. On the seventh day they blow their horns and the Israelites scream, at first nothing happens. The Jericho peas laugh at the Israelites for not being so clever, before they knew it, a crack on the wall causes the end of Jericho's world to be destroyed, just like God said it would be. Bob and Junior wrap up on the closing countertop, reiterating the lesson in the film, a slushie falls. Larry appears in his pajamas (as seen in the Silly Song "Oh Santa" from "The Toy That Saved Christmas") at the end, but seconds later the lights go out as the computer screen turns off and Larry says "Aw nuts!". Voice cast *Phil Vischer Voices: **Bob the Tomato as an Israelite & Narrator **Pa Grape as an Israelite **Tom Grape as an Israelite **Jimmy Gourd as an Israelite **Archibald Asparagus as Commander of the Army of the Lord **Percy Pea as an Israelite **Phillipe Pea as Defenders of Jericho **The Silly Song Narrator *Mike Nawrocki Voices: **Larry the Cucumber as Joshua **Jerry Gourd as an Israelite **Jean Claude Pea as Defenders of Jericho *Lisa Vischer Voices: **Junior Asparagus as an Israelite *Jim Poole Voices: **Scooter as an Israelite *Chris Olsen Voices: **Cristoffe Pea as Defenders of Jericho Other Characters *Mr. Nezzer as Moses *Goliath *Aunt Ruth *The French Peas Credits Roll Directed by CHRIS OLSEN PHIL VISCHER Produced by CHRIS OLSEN Production Coordinator JENNIFER COMBS Written by MIKE NAWROCKI PHIL VISCHER Story Art LUIS CONTRERAS Additional Story Art EVERETT DOWNING DANIEL LOGSDON Art Direction LUIS CONTRERAS DANIEL LOPEZ MUNOZ JOSEPH SAPULICH Character Voices MIKE NAWROCKI JIM POOLE LISA VISCHER PHIL VISCHER Audio & Video Editing MIKE NAWROCKI Lead Modeler DANIEL LOPEZ MUNOZ Modeling Team AARON HARTLINE MIKE LAUBACH DANIEL LOPEZ MUNOZ BRYAN MOLL Lead Character Animators THOMAS DANEN RON SMITH Character Animation THOMAS DANEN ROBERT ELLIS JOE MCFADDEN LENA SPOKE NATHAN TUNGSETH Additional Animation ADAM HOLMES MIKE LAUBACH BRYAN MOLL MIKE NAWROCKI Lighting/Effects Supervisor JON GADSBY Lighting/Effects Team CARA BUKOVSKI ADAM HOLMES Software Development & Render Management DAVE BOCK KEN GREENE Score KURT HEINECKE PHIL VISCHER Choir KURT HEINECKE TIM JOHNSON PHIL VISCHER Systems Administration TODD SEEMANN Content Consultant SCOTTIE MAY Ed.D. Special Thanks To JAMIE CHAVEZ BILL "Tuna Crispo" HALJUN BEN HOWARD KARYN LINDGREN TIM WILLIAMS WAYNE ZEITNER And The Big Idea Family Trivia * This is the first time someone spitted in a episode. * This marks the last appearance for Tom Grape. * This also marks the first physical debut appearance of Phillipe. Jean Claude was originally paired with Christophe and Phillipe was previously heard in the Christmas album. * According to the concept art, there were a few differences between that and the final. ** The ark was going to be on wheels. ** The helmets on the army of Jericho were going to be colanders and something to an Asian straw hat. Also, the helmets would've covered the Peas' eyesight, but still would've see (ala Tom Grape and Mr. Lunt) ** The wall was going to be extendable, which starts as a low wall and folds up to become bigger. ** There was going to be a motorcycle. * There was going to be more shots of the walls of Jericho collapsing for the episode, but they were cancelled due to money running low and the episode's deadline. * Mike Nawrocki read the interactive storybook version on The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment! * On the original 1997 VHS release, it should've included the teaser for Larry-Boy! and the Fib from Outer Space! * At the end, Junior asks Bob if the Israellites really built a rocket and got slushies dropped on their heads. This line was added in the script in order to prevent young children asking that question in Sunday School. * This is the last episode to have the Word and Everland Entertainment box cover and the 1993 version of the theme song. Category:Episodes Category:Josh And The Big Wall Category:1997 Category:1993-1999